God's Call

Sept. 9, 2019 Monday Message:

Gideon answered God: “Forgive me, Lord, but with what am I to save Israel? Why, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest person in my father’s house!” Judges 6:15 Complete Jewish Bible

It seems that when God taps someone on the shoulder for a task, the standard response is, “You’ve got the wrong guy!” Compared to the God doing the calling, most of us feel inadequate. But God isn’t just assigning us a task. God isn’t expecting us to accomplish His goal with no support. What we need to realize is that God already has a plan, and we are just a part of it.

When God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said, “You’ve got the wrong guy!” But God had hand-picked Moses for this task since he was a baby. God caused Moses to grow up in Pharaoh’s court so he knew the language and the government systems. God had equipped him for the task. Furthermore, the plagues would finally convince Pharaoh to let the people go free. Moses, you’re not in this by yourself!

When God called Jonah to Nineveh he ran – he went in the opposite direction! But God, through a bizarre series of events, brought Jonah right where he needed to be to warn the people of Nineveh to repent and return to the Lord!

Question: With 135,000 in the Midianite Army, why did God reduce Gideon’s soldiers to 300? How could they possible win the battle?

Answer: It wasn’t just 300 soldiers – it was 300 plus God, and with God they could accomplish anything!

So when God taps us on the shoulder for a task, we should get in the habit of saying ‘yes,’ knowing that God will be in it with us. You might be God’s perfect person for the mission!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week is the Men’s Retreat, so Pastor Van Dickerson will wrap up Philippians 4, guest Worship Leader Jerry McCluskey.

The Father's Love

Sept. 2, 2019 Monday Message:

“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20b

Monday Message comes on Tuesday this week, as I was traveling back from the South Dakota State Fair, where on Sunday morning at 11am we led a Gospel Concert for about 400 people, and I got to deliver the message! We talked about the Prodigal Son parable, but this time the emphasis was on the Father – specifically the great love the Father had for his lost son.

The Bible says, “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him…” which tells me the father had been watching, waiting and praying for the lost son. The father never gave up on this son. And as the repentant son was making his way back home, the father ran out of the house to meet him, put a fine robe around him, and once again give him the family ring, which was a seal allowing the son to buy, sell and otherwise do business in the family name.

“Bring the fattened calf and kill it – Let’s have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”

Of course in this parable, the father is Our Father in Heaven, and the Prodigal could be any one of us who backslides from time to time. The point is that the Father will always welcome you back with open arms. He has SO much love for us! In the Hebrew, it’s “khesed.” The Greeks called it “agapé love” – you may have heard of that – and the King James sometimes translates it as “everlasting lovingkindness.” We don’t really have an adequate word in our language to describe just how big God’s love is for us.

So no matter what’s gone wrong in your life, it’s not only OK to come back home, but it’s the right thing to do. The Father has been watching out the window, knowing that someday you’ll be coming up that road. He’s been expecting you!

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. This week’s message is all about Communion – see you at church!

Citizens of Heaven

Aug. 26, 2019 Monday Message:

“We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” Phil. 3:20a

Mankind has claimed, negotiated for and oftentimes fought wars over ownership of a piece of land. Israel claims their country’s land because God gave it to them; the Palestinians say they were there first. This dispute has gone on more than 3,000 years, and continues to this day.

The border between the United States and Mexico has been in the news a lot lately. It’s just a jagged line drawn on a map, drawn by mankind, and a lot of residents in the region wish it wasn’t there. They have friends, relatives and employment opportunities on both sides of the line. Free back-and-forth access would improve the lives of a lot of people, yet we spend millions enforcing the man-made line, with no end in sight.

Believers have a better deal. Paul teaches that believers can think of themselves as “Citizens of Heaven,” and if we are “Citizens of Heaven,” then we are just resident aliens visiting earth. Suddenly borders don’t matter so much. In heaven, US believers and Mexican believers may have adjacent rooms – who knows?

Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not yet the end! God is still in charge!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10:30 AM. Pastor Michael Pilla opens up Philippians Ch. 4 on this holiday weekend. Welcome Guest Worship Leader David Boeltl.